Adult-FanFiction.org : Naruto

Closer	By : SilentStar-009 Category: Naruto AU/AR > General Views: 1538 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, nor the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
- 7
- 8
- 9
::Chapter 8::

He was looking at her so strangely it made her even more uneasy. The atmosphere around the group seemed to grow warmer. She recognized the feeling because when Asuma-sensei beat that possessed guy, the air felt the same way.

The remaining enemy ninja was alone against the group, outnumbered. He was staring at Sasuke with a mixture of terror and uncertainty. He then reached into his robes and produced a scroll as a peace offering. If Sasuke let he and his teammates go, they would finish what had transpired another time. Ino silently willed Sasuke to take the deal and was relieved when he did. Dosu left with his battered team seconds later and everyone around her breathed a little better.

Ino took a few calming breaths, nervously drying her eyes. Ugh, she probably looked like a mess she thought, standing up. Was that mud on her toes? She needed a pedicure when this was all over. Her right side ached like a mother. When the female sound nin was thrown at the tree, it bruised her own body pretty bad. But her wounds were nothing compared to others.

"Ino…"

"I-I'm going to check on Lee." She said, not meeting Sasuke's eyes as he softly said her name. She could still feel that ugly chakra lingering around him and right now, she didn't want to be near it. Her heart ached with the thought, but her instincts and her body still remembered. It angered and frustrated her to no end how that day still had such an unshakable hold on her. This exam was far more horrible than that damn mission!

Sprawled on the crisp cold grass, Ino kneeled beside Lee. Her heart softened for him. He was pretty beat up. Blood trickled from one of his ears, down his flushed cheek. He was breathing, that was a good thing. Gently, she turned him over, on his back. His thin chest moved up and down with shallow breaths. He opened one puffy eye, staring at her in daze and pain.

"Are you okay?" She asked him, helping him to sit upright. He was trembling, but when she tightened her hand on his shoulder, she felt him strengthen, like someone breathed fresh chakra into him. The air whistled around her and Ino turned to the shifting wind, and soon she was peering into warm, intelligent brown eyes. Her head reared back in surprise, taking in the little buns on top in her head. She smelled like the forest and metal.

"I'm Tenten. Lee is my teammate." She said in a cute-sy voice, making Ino's nerves calm and relax. So she was on Neji Hyuga's team. She wondered how that worked out. Tenten seemed so peaceful. Totally out of place with Lee's rambunctious ways and Neji's indifferent, arrogant personality. Kinda like Sakura's team. Her eyes wandered on their own, away from Tenten shaking Lee to his feet, away from the arrival of Neji mere moments after Tenten made herself known.

Sasuke held her gaze with some unknown power. She felt strangely comforted and frightened at the same time. The world seemed to drop away and just for a moment, she swore she could hear his thoughts. That chakra he possessed, he was afraid of it too.

Naruto screamed awake (thanks to a considerate Choji and Shikamaru) making them tear their gazes away from one another. Ino stood, giving her teammates a look, wiping the amused smirks from their face. Choji innocently dropped the stick he poked Naruto with and Shikamaru shoved his hands in his pockets, though not looking away from her in the guilty way Choji did.

"Sakura! What happened to your hair?" Naruto scrambled to his feet. He was leaning over his teammates with a thousand questions in his eyes. Sakura blushed a little and wrapped a strand of it around her finger.

"Oh, just wanted to change my look." She explained with a patient smile. "I like long hair, but you know, it gets in my way."

Ino smiled a little, knowing Sakura didn't want to worry Naruto. Naruto's confused expression made her smile waver. But they will have to tell him what had happened. She was curious on why he had been unconscious. She wanted to know what the hell happened to Sakura's team and how Lee became involved.

"Why are you guys here?" Naruto asked her seriously. His eyes were red rimmed, and up close, she noticed how pale he was.

"It would be too troublesome to tell you." Shikamaru said as he and Choji approached them.

"Everyone helped us." Sakura said, standing on wobbling legs. She approached Lee, who was being supported by Tenten. Ino raised a brow, not willing to move. She wanted to hear what Sakura wanted to say to him. "Lee. Thank you. My eyes are open more and I think I've become a little stronger."

Lee's lips trembled into a smile. Ino suspected that the green-spandex wearing ninja didn't get too many thank yous. She was glad Sakura gave him one. Lee's dark eyes were bright with emotion and utter devotion for the pink haired girl.

"Looks like I have to train a little more." He said. Ino felt Sasuke's approach and she turned to him as he moved into her side space, next to Sakura. "The next time we meet, I promise I'll be a stronger man." Lee declared to her. Ino liked him right then and there and looked to Sakura with a raised brow. Sakura felt her eyes on her but avoided them.

"Okay." She murmured in embarrassment. Ino let them be alone, pulling on Sasuke's hand. Away from everyone, Ino turned to him, a hand on her hip.

"Okay. Let me see." She said in sudden briskness. "Your leg." She answered at his raised brow.

"Its fine." But then he sighed, seeing her no-arguing expression and sat in the grass, wincing a little. He must be tired, she thought, because he gave in too easily. Would his team be able to finish this exam? She knew she couldn't offer her help. Both Naruto and Sasuke would vehemently oppose. Hardheaded boys, she thought suppressing a scowl. She scooped out a small jar of antiseptic/antibiotic from her pouch. A gift from Hinata. His wound was cleaned as best as it could be with the medi-pack Choji carried.

"This might burn just a bit." She murmured, applying the medicine. But she blew on it soon after to ease the irritation. After wrapping his leg tightly, she packed her things.

"Now let me see." He said. Ino looked at him in confusion. "You side. You're favoring one side."

She blushed. "It probably just bruised." She defended.

"Ino." He said in a low, commanding voice. She didn't want to show him! That would mean taking off her bandages. His eyes softened, making her melt a little. Damn him and his super cute pleading face! Ino thought in dismay, untying her headband. Under the band of her skirt, she pulled the end of the bandage free and began unwrapping it.

So totally embarrassing, she thought, trying to fight her blush. It feels like I'm stripping in front of him! Her pale flesh began peeking through and she shivered when the wind conveniently blew through the dense forest. She felt a bit naked, standing before him, but she pretended that it didn't bother her.

Sasuke leaned forward and touched the tender bruise, blossoming over her right hand side. She could tell it would be a big one. Even felt it in her back. She could still taste the blood on her mouth as well and reminded herself to brush her teeth when she had some time alone.

"See? It's not so bad." She said, quickly rewrapping her bandages. "At least not as bad as your bruise." Her eyes lingered in the swollen black marks on his shoulder. Though when the mark spread over Sasuke's body the design was different. The other guy's marks were like cheetah dots, while Sasuke's were more flame like.

His head shot up. "What did you say?" His hand when to his shoulder. His dark intelligent eyes instantly picked up on her pondering expression. "You've seen this before haven't you?"

Ino's eyes grew wide. It was too late for her to take back her words. Damn her big mouth! She looked away, but he cupped her chin and forcefully made her meet his eyes.

"Tell me. I want to know. Where did you see this? Do you know the guy who gave it to me?"

Ino shook her head. "I only saw it once." She said after a little while. "When it was…that mission." She lowered her eyes. "The leader guy had the same mark, only when he used the chakra, he changed."

"Changed how?" He looked worried and angry.

She hesitated, not sure if she should tell him or not. But in the end, she knew it was only fair to tell the truth. Considering how much Sasuke had changed when he used the chakra, Ino felt she should warn him. She met his eyes with a level gaze. "He changed into a monster with chakra so huge it made the whole building shudder. He grew…like…crab hands and horns. His eyes turned yellow and his skin was grey, like a corpse." She took a deep breath, fighting the volatile memories. She didn't see the fight between the monster and Asuma-sensei, but it had been a long one. When they returned to the city, Asuma-sensei slept for days, trying to recover his chakra.

There was a following silence as Sasuke got lost in his own thoughts. Truthfully, Ino didn't know what to do or what to say. She decided to leave him, but was stopped when she felt his warm, calloused hand slide in hers.

"I don't want you to be afraid of me. I'll do everything I can to control it. Just…don't run away." He said so softly, she had to strain her hearing a bit. Her heart throbbed. She didn't want to hear him so weak. He was Sasuke Uchiha, brave, cool…skilled. Now, he sounded like a lost boy who didn't know what to do. He had never seen him so confused. He was so full of confidence at the beginning of the second part of the exam and in two and a half days, something reducing him to the person staring at her with a plea on his lips. Showing her a side she never thought existed. She scolded herself; that thought wasn't fair. Despite his skills, his arrogance, his pride, his silence and his popularity, Sasuke was still a person just like her.

He had been different when he was younger, she knew it. When she was younger, of course she knew who he was. Well, maybe not him personally, but she knew who the Uchiha were. She knew their history, their skills and the place they had in the village. If she thought about it, she could remember a couple of time she had seen him. And those times, before the massacre, he always had a smile. She heard him laugh one time…

:FLASHBACK:

Her dad had taken her to the toy store to buy a new music box because her other three were overflowing with her growing jewelry collection. She had wandered through the aisles, plucking a few other things from the shelf when she heard a nice sounding laugh. Curious, she looked through the shelves at a boy who was flushed with joy. He was her age with dark eyes and pale skin, dressed in all black A faceless taller person was waving a white stuffed animal, a kitty, in front of him. Attached to the kitty was a gaudy red box of chocolates.

"That's a girl's toy!" The boy said with a grin, playfully slapping it from the other person's hand.

"But it's cute huh? It's White Day tomorrow and you got a lot of chocolate for Valentines. Don't you want to give a special girl a box of chocolate back?" It was the older boy's teasing voice she heard.

"No! Girls are stupid and loud!" The boy heatedly protested. "You're not doing it, why should I?"

Ino scowled, taking big offense on behalf of the female population. "What a jerk. Why would girls even give a present to a loser like him?" She muttered out loud without realizing it. Soon the older boy leaned down and Ino found herself looking into another pair of dark eyes through the shelves. She squealed in surprise, backing away and ran down the aisle to find her dad.

:END FLASHBACK:

Even if he wasn't a person who laughed now, she knew that he was capable of it. Capable of needing someone. Capable of falling from his pedestal. A pedestal he created by being strong and confident. One he needed to get back on.

"I'm not running away." She said firmly. She wouldn't let him lose his way. If he needed her to trust him, she would. She would swallow her fear, and get over that mission. "You'll find a way if you say you can." She assured him, knowing she was stroking his ego as well. But it was what he needed, a stepping stone.

They didn't linger long. She felt people's eyes on her and so did he. They had been alone for too long. She reluctantly withdrew her hand from his. "I need to talk to Sakura." She said, lowering her head. What was this feeling? Guilt? She looked across the way to where Sakura watched them silently. Everyone seemed to move around them, like a merry-go-round, unaware of the knot Sasuke, Sakura and Ino were in.

Standing before Sakura, Ino gathered enough courage to summon a little smile. "Come on. Let's do something about your hair." She offered. She was afraid Sakura might reject her offer, afraid that Sakura would begin to cry or scream at her. But she didn't. She let Ino lead her away from everyone, to a solitude hill that sprouted from the forest.

"Sit down." Ino said pulling a kunai from her pouch and running her hands through Sakura's butchered hair. It was really a shame she thought, tenderly massaging the bumps she felt on her head. Sakura really did have such pretty, shiny hair, now it was gone.

"You cheater. You hugged them back there Billboard Brow" She began in a light tone, with a tinge of resentment for show purposes She began slicing the longer parts of the bubble gum colored hair, to try and even it out the best she could.

"In public, the person who takes the initiative wins. You taught me that." Sakura smartly retorted, reciting a rule. One of many Ino had taught her.

The blonde smiled. "I'm glad you listened."

Sakura's shoulders sagged. "But I really can't win this can I? He already made his decision."

It was never really their style to no mention the elephant in the room. Ino liked that about their relationship because she always knew where they stood. "Let me look at your wounds." She said and Sakura obediently turned around with her legs outstretched. Dried blood stuck to Sakura's peachy skin, running down her right leg to her ankle. There was another on her arm, below her elbow. The blonde took some cleaning gauze from the medi-pack and began cleaning Sakura with as much care as she did Sasuke. Ino broke a cold pack and handed it to the pink haired girl to put over her swollen black eye.

"I never liked him." Ino blurted out and then paused. "Well, now I do, but that's beside the point. You should have asked me instead of assuming."

Sakura blinked up at her in surprise and confusion. "But…you said that he liked long hair, that a lot of girls liked him so I thought—"

"Okay, maybe you're not totally at fault." Ino interrupted and shifted her eyes away from the big probing jade eyes. "I admit, when I said that…I had other intentions." She let out a breath before finally meeting Sakura's gaze. "Ever since I was young, I had always had a lot of friends. I was the center of attention, the lead girl. Miss Popularity. Then…you started coming out of your shell and my hold on girls started slipping."

Sakura removed her ice pack, with a little glare. "You were getting jealous."

"No, not jealous." Ino shot back. She finished with her healing ministrations before starting again. "I felt threatened. I've never had an equal before." She said in honesty.

Sakura looked away. "You didn't expect me to stay in your shadow forever did you?"

Ino digested that before answering. "No. I suppose not." She didn't think that far ahead either. "I guess, despite our closeness, we didn't communicate well with one another like we should have." She leaned back on her hands, folding her legs indian-style.

"So, where do we stand with each other now?" Sakura fingered her hair.

"A standstill I guess. Until this exam is over."

"Then after that?"

Ino shrugged. "We'll see." She reached in her pouch and took out a very small seed and her special kunai. She buried the seed between the grass, so it touched the dirt and then pierced the soft ground with her kunai. Ino put a finger on the tip of the hilt, and formed a seal with her other hand. She concentrated briefly before she felt her chakra impale the little seed and the ground.

Sakura leaned forward in curiosity. A little sprout emerged from the grass, and the stem thickened. "How are you doing that?" She asked.

"Asuma-sensei has me practicing my control. We all can't be master of our chakra like you." She said playfully. A white bud emerged from the top, slowly unfolding its pale pink petals yet shyly hiding its yellow center.

"It's a cosmos." Sakura breathed in awe.

Ino smiled and withdrew her finger from her kunai. "Yeah." She stood, withdrawing her kunai. "And it's almost done blooming." She left Sakura, staring at the flower as she made her way back to her team.

XOXO

The group decided to stay together for the night. Tenten managed to convince Neji because Lee was still hurt. It felt safer in numbers, though the teams each stayed apart. The only time they came together was when it was time to eat. With everyone here, people were more willing to give up some of their food supplies. Fish, mushrooms, wild fruits and vegetables were made into various communal dishes. Shikamaru assured her that they probably wouldn't be targeted because they were such a large group.

Choji settled next to her with his bag pack at his feet, digging though the camping gear for their wooden bowls and chopsticks. The fish were skewered with the vegetables on various sharpened kabobs around the fire.

"Here Ino." Choji blew on a kabob before placing it in her bowl. Ino smiled and leaned into him.

"Thanks."

Naruto and Lee talked non-stop the whole way through dinner. Shikamaru had left the group to be alone, probably staring blissfully into the sky to count shooting stars. Ino thought, delicately munching on her dinner on a stick.

Despite what Sakura had said earlier, she stuck close to Sasuke on the other side of the fire. It was easy to admit defeat, but it was another matter to just stop having feeling for someone. Ino understood that. If she had been in Sakura's shoes, she would have a hard time letting go of someone she really liked. She would have continued to try to get his attention despite Sakura's feelings. She wondered if it was the same for said girl.

Choji decided to join Naruto and Lee's conversation so Ino was left alone, leaning back on her hands, letting the fire warm her legs. Her side ached and her eyes were droopy, but she knew that she still had to set up the tent and wash her face before sleeping. Tenten said that there was a nice looking creek not too far off. She knew that by morning, Neji and his team would be gone and Shikamaru told them that they should do the same and go to the tower. It was going to take a good eight hour hike to reach it. And that was if they traveled as fast as they could.

She brought her knees to her chest and laid her cheek on them. Ugh, just thinking about it was making her sleepy. She closed her eyes for just a second, before she was jolted awake by a gentle shake. She was on instant alert.

"Calm down." She heard him hum and she felt her blood warm. His face was shadowed by the night shadows, but the fire flickered in his dark eyes, hinting at the softness she heard in his voice.

"I guess the day is getting to me." She said with a little yawn. "I'm going to that creek Tenten mentioned to wash up." She paused. "Can you come with me?"

"To bathe?" He asked, backing away. Ino's cheeks sparked to life.

"No! To brush my teeth and wash my face! Never mind." She said bolting away. She grabbed her bag by a tree and practically fled into the forest. The scary dark forest. All alone. She slowed down, slowly clutching her bag to her chest. Okay, calm down. It's like any other forest….just filled with man-eating bugs and plants. Damn Kabuto! Okay, okay, okay…

"Ino."

She screamed, spinning in a panic. A few shallow, harsh breaths later, she saw Sasuke's concerned face looming in the darkness. She swallowed hard, putting a hand to her racing heart. "Gods! Quit doing that!"

"Someone's on edge." He commented. "Does the forest scare you?"

"Damn right it does! You never know who or what is hiding in the shadows! Man-eating bug and plants! Remember?" She fumed angrily.

"Tree slugs, pit traps, huge snakes and desperate enemies." He added.

Ino's eyes grew round. "Sasuke!" She whined, tightening her hold on her bag.

Sasuke smiled. "Don't worry. I won't let anything happen to you." He assured her.

Ino relaxed and rolled her eyes all of the sudden. "Right. Of course. Thank you."

"Besides, you're going the wrong way. The creek is in the other direction." He motioned with his thumb and an irritating cocky smile.

Ino's cheeks heated even more in embarrassment. "I knew that. I was just…taking the long way." She pushed past him, aware of his amusement lingering in the air. Embarrassing! Why did he get her so worked up? Thinking that she wanted him to bathe with her…ugh…no! Stop wandering on crude thoughts brain! She put a hand to her head, like her hand would stop the rising images she was violently fighting off. She avoided the camp not wanting people to look at them in any kind of way. He was just escorting me she defended. To make sure no blood thirsty monsters kill me. That was the only reason she asked him to come with her.

She followed close behind him, on alert until they came to the little creek. It even had a nice little bridge across it. Who would be crazy enough to build it? Matter-of-fact, how many died in the gods forsaken place to build the tower? Ah, no matter, she thought not wanting to let her mind wander on useless questions. Jeeze, she must be tired.

As she kneeled, her bag slipped off her shoulder. Inside, she pulled her tooth brush and facial cleaner. Shikamaru and Choji laughed at her when they found out she brought them. But there was no way in hell she could go five days without brushing her teeth! Ewww! And her face wash was a necessity as well, because they would be in the wilderness, in dirt, sweating. Pimples could pop up on her precious porcelain skin! The thought was a horrifying one!

As she did her nightly routine, she couldn't help but feel a bit self conscious. Sasuke was there with her when she was doing her preening, what did he think of it? No. She thought stubbornly. These things were a necessity. One had to work at beauty. Granted, she probably didn't have to work as hard as most girls, but she still had to work at it.

The whole thing was done in silence. Something Ino was growing accustomed to when she was with him. He had brought his stuff as well, though he just brushed his teeth. The night's nocturnal animals and bugs filled the silent void between them.

"Your team will be able to get through this right?" She finally asked the question that had nagged her from the beginning.

"Somehow." He answered, spitting his toothpaste foam into the running water. "Worry about your team, and I'll worry about mine."

Ino smiled, despite his testy tone. Now that was the sound of the Sasuke she wanted to hear. Nothing more was said as they made their way back to the camp. Tonight, everyone here would be back on their own teams, doing their own thing.

"Remember your promise." Sasuke told her before they parted ways.

"Remember yours." She snapped back. "Both of them." She added. With one last look, Ino turned from him and left, disappearing into her teams' tent where both boys were already snoring away.

XOXO

All human beings had a weakness. If it wasn't physical, it was mental. If it wasn't mental, it was physical. If you were very unfortunate, it would be both. Knowing about weakness made men easy to cripple. To persuade. To trap.

Kabuto was very skilled at obtaining such information. The cards he brought with him to this exam were just a handful of the collection he gathered. One card in particular sat atop the pile, facing up. He felt it was still incomplete, but that would be easy remedied. For now, he would give what he knew.

Sasuke and his team were safe inside the tower. His part was done for now.

"Find out anything?" Orochimaru leaned against a scarred wooden post, silently waiting for his approach. The other men on Kabuto's team lingered behind the pair and served as a look out.

"Yes. More than I expected." Kabuto held out the card. "I've written down all the data pertaining to him in the second exam. You need this right?" Slowly, the snake Sannin took the card with an interested hitch to his thin brow.

"Yes. How was he?" He murmured, stroking the picture of Sasuke Uchiha thoughtfully.

"Seems like you're very fond of him Lord Orochimaru." Kabuto mused politely.

"I want to hear your opinion…as a spy from the Village of Hidden Sound." It was a deceiving question Kabuto knew.

"You don't need that. Since you're the one determining everything."

The snake Sannin raised a brow as he looked over the card. Beside Sasuke's picture was a little picture of a delicate looking blonde with a brief line or two concerning her. "Ino Yamanaka eh? What a pretty little girl."

Kabuto's twisted smirk was filled with a madman's intention. "If the girl is a problem…"

Orochimaru cut him off with an elegant wave of his hand. "No. Leave her for now. Bonds can be used as very powerful ways of persuasion. Who am I to stand in the way of budding romance?"

Kabuto raised a brow. "Romance? Never thought of you as a romantic."

The older man evilly chuckled "There's a lot you don't know about me." He pushed off of the pillar. "Your cunningness is what I like." Then the wind picked up, creating a little twister that began swallowing Orochimaru's figure. "Good job."

XOXO

Ino's heart felt heavy when they reached the tower. She wanted nothing more than to wait in one of the rooms until Sasuke's team stumbled in. She wanted to hear Naruto's boisterous voice and see Sakura staring at Sasuke like a lovesick puppy. But she knew that Team 7 wouldn't appreciate it. Instead, she did what Sasuke told her to do, and concentrated on her own team.

On the wall, in bold neat kanji was some kind of riddle. She looked expectantly at Shikamaru who was reading it over and over.

"Maybe we just have to open them now." Choji suggested, reaching into Shikamaru's bag and taking out both scrolls. Ino quickly looked around to make sure no one else was in the room. The last thing they needed was to be ambushed in the tower and have the scrolls stolen. The exam would be over in fourteen hours.

"It says that the path will be safe if both are open." Ino subtly agreed with him, waiting for Shikamaru to say something.

"Yeah, but let's put them on the ground." He took them from Choji and placed them side by side. "Stand back Ino." He ordered and Ino obeyed, flattered that he thought about her safely above his and Choji's. "On three, then kick it open." Shikamaru told Choji who gave a firm nod in understanding. "One…two…three!"

Both Heaven and Earth scrolls rolled open. Nothing happened at first. Frowning, she turned to the boys.

"Weird."

"No!" Choji cried. "Look! They're summoning scrolls!" Ino ran in between the boys, holding onto their arms tightly. Beyond the smoke, they saw someone's silhouette. When the smoke cleared Ino's eyes brightened and she let go of the guys' arms.

"Iruka-sensei!" She cried in relief. Gods after getting through this perilous time, she was excited to see a familiar authority figure. It made her feel safe.

"Congratulations, Team Asuma. You have completed the second exam." He said with a nice grin.

XOXO

The passing teams were called to assemble in the Academy sparring gym. After leaving the Forest of Death Tower, Iruka-sensei let them have a few bottles of water and some apples. She had to save hers before Choji tried to snatch it. It was pure ambrosia in her mouth. After eating nothing but charred fish and wild fruits and vegetables, the apple was like…gods! They didn't get to rest very long. As the last groups finally arrived, the gym was getting more and more tense. She was glad that Hinata's team passed, as well as the rest. It was a huge relief when Naruto and his team stumbled in.

They looked a lot worse from when she and her team had left them. She frowned. What happened? She didn't have a chance to ask because the Hokage and the team leaders entered.

"I'm hungry." Choji whined when his belly began to growl.

"There are still so many people left. Troublesome." Shikamaru's gaze warily scanned the crowed. Ino didn't know why it was troublesome. Okay, maybe it was troublesome because the freak named Gaara looked untouched by the forest, or maybe it was because Neji was glaring at everyone who looked to be underneath him. There was still a heavy feeling of competition running though the teams.

"Sasuke's team passed too." She said happily. Shikamaru just rolled his eyes.

"Of course. We went through a lot of trouble helping them. Our efforts would have gone to waste if they didn't pass." He said a bit snootily. Ino playfully leaned into him.

"I'm proud of what we did too." She said earning a secretive smile from the lanky boy.

Everyone quieted as the Hokage began talking explaining that the exams were not just to promote good will and such between the villages. They were used to showcase the strength of the different countries. Countries were only as strong as their hidden village, and a hidden village's strength was based on their ninja. By doing the exam, it was like a mini, tamed version of wars between the villages. The third exam was utilizing this idea by having life-or death matches in front of potential employers. Meaning, Feudal Lords and people who ran the countries would be in attendance.

Ino went numb halfway through the speech. This was really happening. Life as a full fledge ninja was opening up to her in a terrifying rush. When they were in the Forest of Death, they didn't really run into other teams. Shikamaru made sure they were out of sight. Even obtaining their heaven scroll from the grass nins was really easy. It was pure luck. Then the thing with Sasuke's team and the sound nins (who she noticed passed, along with stupid Kabuto) happened. Again, they didn't get too hurt. Now this…this match that they couldn't hide from, that they couldn't pass with just luck…

"But before the third exam starts, we must have preliminary matches to cut the numbers down." The sickly looking man who had introduced himself as Hayate explained and then hacked painfully a few times.

"What the hell?" Shikamaru spoke up in outrage. "Preliminary matches?"

"Why?" Tenten asked.

"Chunnin regulations prohibit so many people from taking the exam. There will be many important people there and if everyone here does a match it will take too long. Now that I have explained this, those who are not feeling well enough to participate, please inform me now. If not, the preliminary matches will begin immediately."

"Immediately?" Kiba barked in angry astonishment.

"But we just finished with the second exam." Ino said in a tired whine.

Behind her. "How troublesome." Shikamaru said with a sigh.

Then Choji gave a pitiful moan. "What about my meal?"

"Those who want to withdraw must do so now." Hayate said, peering out to the group. Ino looked at the rows of genin. Everyone seemed determined, but then she noticed that Sasuke and Sakura were urgently whispering something to one another. Sasuke was looking pretty angry and alarmed and Sakura had tears in her eyes. Sasuke slid a hand to his shoulder, over his bruise.

Ino realized that argument was probably about Sasuke's bruise. He did look like he was in pain. But then her attention was brought to a yelling Naruto. He was upset that Kabuto was quitting. Ino narrowed her eyes as Kabuto gave Naruto a friendly, but exhausted smile.

"I'm sorry Naruto. But my body is worn out from the second exam." He said calmly. "I cannot enter the match with confidence."

Ino was glad he was leaving. Her scowl followed him all the way out of the gym. But, why was Naruto so upset that Kabuto was quitting? What happened when they left? Did Kabuto somehow meet up with them or something? Maybe they met at the tower? Kabuto and Naruto's teams showed up seconds after one another. She looked at Sasuke who had noticed her scowling at the retreating older ninja. His expression said he would tell her later.

"The first match will be displayed on the electronic bulletin." Hayate motioned to the score board where names of the remaining genin were spinning. Everyone watched as Sasuke and some guy named Yoroi flashed on the screen. "Those who are not in the match, please move up there."

Along the gym walls were overlooking balconies that surrounded the area of the arena. Ino purposely fell behind everyone so she could talk to Sasuke before the match began. In front of her, Kakashi-sensei stopped and said a few things to Sasuke. His low voice reached her. He was telling Sasuke not to use his Sharingan because the cursed seal would react to his chakra and things could get out of control. Ino's steps fell to just a shuffle. Cursed seal? That was what it was called? How did Kakashi-sensei know about it? The blonde waited for the Copycat nin to leave before approaching him.

"So you overheard?" He asked her quietly. She had to make it quick; she didn't want to get in trouble for postponing the match.

"Does it hurt?" She asked, looking at the dark seal.

"I'll be fine." He told her firmly, eyes turning to stone. Ino bit her cheek and lowered her eyes.

"Listen to what Kakashi-sensei said." She looked up. "You still have to keep your promise." She told him stubbornly and began walking backward, to the stairs leading up to the balcony.

He smirked. "I know."
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Closer